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Will I ever be able to paint? (1 Viewer)

All my life I've wanted to be a decent watercolourist and failed dismally.

It's frustrating, because I'm actually not bad at drawing - I've always been able to render a bird in pencil (and even won the odd award doing so) - but putting paint down?

Forget it. And I've tried.

The thing with watercolour is that it's at least as much about what you leave out as what you put in, and - due to a quirk of how my brain works, I'm sure - I can't "see" where I should be leaving paper untouched: I know the theory, I've read the books, and I've done the classes - and yet I still stick too much paint down.

I mention this only to point out that even if you're of an artistic inclination, some things might simply be beyond what you're wired for.

Don't get me wrong, I've managed to knock out the odd painting which has more or less pressed the right buttons, but it has never been a natural process, and to me they've all looked formulaic - which I hate.
 
Just had an idea for my first ''project''

Imagine the scene,a single little egret roosting in an old tree,maybe by a lake.

Quite like the idea of the ordered gracefull form of the egret set against the chaos and disorder of twisting branches etc.

At first I thought about a simple pen and ink effort but now i'm maybe thinking a dark toned piece of card so that I could touch up the egret in white chalk/pastel?,maybe add a full moon in the background to compliment the egret,very japanesy!

Sounds a little ambitious,will scribble some drafts!

Matt
 
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I don't think I've ever come across an accomplished artist who wasn't completely obsessed with what they do. And I don't think I've ever come across an artist who was any good at what they did and at the same time was always satisfied with their own work. Painting a lot will make you paint well, but it's the process you'll enjoy (or simultaneously come to loathe!) I rarely consider anything I do a success -- but I really do love doing it, however frustrated I become.

I guess my point is, improvement comes at the expense of a lot of hard work, but don't paint to be good at it -- paint to enjoy it. And while you can hide whatever you create, don't ever toss it (critical as we are, it's often the only way we can prove to ourselves that we are, indeed, improving!)
 
Hi Matt et al!
Just go for it Matt and keep going!!!
I've always wanted to be able to paint and have just bought my first canvas and acrylics......not very sucessful yet but I'm enjoying trying!!!
Best wishes,
 
Ruth Daniel said:
Hi Matt et al!
Just go for it Matt and keep going!!!
I've always wanted to be able to paint and have just bought my first canvas and acrylics......not very sucessful yet but I'm enjoying trying!!!
Best wishes,
Click to expand...


Thats the best part of it Ruth..

The finished results aside,it's a highly theraputic way of spending an hour or two on these dark winter evenings!

Matt
 
Keith watercolours is one of the hardest of the mediums to use because it is fairly unforgiving. Colours easily get muddy and mistakes not so easily rectified. If you are someone that reallyl ikes to apply the paint why not try acrylics. Acrylics are a backwards way round to watercolours. With watercolours you paint light to dark but with acrylics dark to light. You can also paint over your mistakes or bits you dont like. I use both watercolours and acrylics but really it can depend what mood I am in as to which one I want to paint with.

Matt your project sounds good and will be a good exercise in the use of tone. My advice keep it very simple. SOmetimes the simplest of paintings can look the most effective!
 
matt green said:
Trouble is,at present i'm not that good
Click to expand...

Hi,

Consider abstract art. Today I created a picture called "darkened sun over desertified land - tribute to global warming". Well, it was stained coffee and mug bottom. :D

Seriously:
- if you like to paint - just paint, paint, paint. Skill comes with practice, practice, practice. Not much else! When I took art classes, best people were ones who got to study on their 2nd or 3rd attempt - they had extra year of developing skill. This made them overtake any talented person.

(you can also see my gallery). :D
 
psilo said:
watercolours is one of the hardest of the mediums (...)
try acrylics
Click to expand...

Exactly!

And apparently you have problems with finishing big project - just make skretches.
 
does anyone have any acrylic work i could see? i tried some cheap acrylic paints once, they seemed limited. of course, that just could've been the cheap paints....is there any books on painting birds in acrylic?
 
nctexasbirder said:
does anyone have any acrylic work i could see? i tried some cheap acrylic paints once, they seemed limited. of course, that just could've been the cheap paints....is there any books on painting birds in acrylic?
Click to expand...
I've only just started with acrylics and am also finding little info on them?? Mine are made by Henkel & Watermann but I'd love some tips of how to use them? At the moment it's trial and error?? lol! ;) Do you use water with them like watercolours??
 
psilo said:
Keith watercolours is one of the hardest of the mediums to use because it is fairly unforgiving. Colours easily get muddy and mistakes not so easily rectified.
Click to expand...

I agree, but the only way it becomes less hard is with practice and the only way to practice is to use them! Water colour is an excellent medium for sketch work as you have to work fast and keep paper wet - less time for flapping around with details and great for focussing on form, spacial relationship and light effect! Thus can be ideal 'in the field' if you want colour sketches. (once you get the hang of it ;) )
 
Ruth Daniel said:
I've only just started with acrylics and am also finding little info on them?? Mine are made by Henkel & Watermann but I'd love some tips of how to use them? At the moment it's trial and error?? lol! ;) Do you use water with them like watercolours??
Click to expand...


Hi Ruth

Acrylic are used with water or you can use them straight from the tube. You can create anything from a watercolour effect to paletted oil effect. They are cheaper than oils and obviously less messy! Although I use to use oils rather than acrylic because i preferred the subtly of colour I could get with oils. (and liked the smell of turps!). They have a great advantage over watercolour too (as Psilo pointed out above) as you can paint several new layers on top without the risk of muddy colours. You may find this link useful:

http://painting.about.com/od/acrylicpainting/a/10tips_acrylics.htm
 
Arcylic is a waterbased medium so you can use them just like watercolours using plenty of water or with little or no water to give a stiff paint effect like with oils. With arcylics you can paint on just about anything from primed newspaper in order to practise to thick watercolour paper or canvas.
Arylic paint does however dry very fast and unlike watercolours you cannot lift colour out using water.
Cheap acrylics are ok but in the long term they will not hold their colour as long as the more permenent dearer ones.
 
nctexasbirder said:
does anyone have any acrylic work i could see? i tried some cheap acrylic paints once, they seemed limited. of course, that just could've been the cheap paints....is there any books on painting birds in acrylic?
Click to expand...
See my gallery or website for acrylic work, or better still see: http://www.robertbateman.ca

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/2672

http://www.wildlifeart1.co.uk

Cheaper acrylics are probably OK for practice but the results really can be disappointing so my advice would be to stick out for the quality ones.

Christmas is coming!....;)

Woody
 
Inks!

Tell you what are good, too: illustrating inks! They're like watercolours, but thinner, easier to 'wash' and easy to mix. And you only use teensy amounts! A bottle lasts me years! Cheap too!
 

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Woody said:
See my gallery or website for acrylic work, or better still see: http://www.robertbateman.ca

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/2672

http://www.wildlifeart1.co.uk

Cheaper acrylics are probably OK for practice but the results really can be disappointing so my advice would be to stick out for the quality ones.

Christmas is coming!....;)

Woody
Click to expand...
WOW!!!
Woody I love your Turnstones!!!! Such deep bright colours...thats what i like about acrylics....I've a long way to go but thanks for your help!
 
Tranquility Base said:
Tell you what are good, too: illustrating inks! They're like watercolours, but thinner, easier to 'wash' and easy to mix. And you only use teensy amounts! A bottle lasts me years! Cheap too!
Click to expand...
Hi David,the Auks are splendid and I love the Waxwing on your website....thanks for the tip I'll add inks to my growing xmas list!!!
Thanks for the inspiration everyone!!!!
 
Ruth Daniel said:
Hi David,the Auks are splendid and I love the Waxwing on your website....thanks for the tip I'll add inks to my growing xmas list!!!
Thanks for the inspiration everyone!!!!
Click to expand...

Aw! Thanks Ruth! You are really too kind!
Good luck, and stick with it! It's the best thing in the World for improving self-esteem and relaxing!
 
Bright vibrant colours are what I love to use and watercolours in particular are brilliant for using them. Washes can be used to best effect and layers of colours can be put down one on top of the other to create wonderful effects. Sorry I dont have any bird paintings to show as I have not got any to hand but this painting of mine shows best what i mean.
Understanding how colours work together is the best way of learning how to use watercolours
 

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